Born from the English contraction of “Meta” and “Universe”, the Metaverse is a concept that has been widely discussed in recent months. If currently its applications are limited, the prospects for the future of the technology are real.
The Metaverse: more or less recent fame
If the popularity of the Metaverse is recent, the origin of the word, it does not date from yesterday. The term was actually created by an American science fiction and alternate history writer Neal Stephenson. The latter was the first to describe it in his novel: “The Virtual Samurai” released in 1992 (“Snow Crash” in its original version). He then presented the Metaverse as a 3D virtual world where individuals, through avatars, interact with each other but also with characters created by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The term Metaverse is now used to describe future version of the Internet where virtual spaces can be accessed through 3D interaction. Unlike a game, this new virtual world is constantly evolving, including when users are no longer connected. Without them, other people will continue to develop there and the world will change every day.
The field of use of Metaverse
Augmented reality technology is used to overlay the virtual world with real life, the Metaverse will be a game changer in many areas : creation of immersive 3D spaces, videoconferencing and innovative distance training, new generation events, 3D commerce, avatarization… In the area of entertainment, changes can happen. Virtual concerts will become the norm. The public then moves at their convenienceto get as close as possible to the artist. Along the same lines, tourist spots can offer ultra-realistic virtual tours. Visitors can then move through a virtual environment using glasses and joysticks.
Metaverse Perspectives: What’s Next?
Are we now close to the real Metaverse? That is the question. At the time of writing these lines, there are still many barriers to the arrival of technology. These include hardware limitations in a continuous digital environment, the problem of energy consumption or even personal data. Other dangers are also pointed out, such as the fact that technology can serve as an “emotional refuge” and create a certain dependency.
However, the development of the Metaverse can happen naturally. In fact, in the future, Internet users are likely to spend more time online and therefore associate their identity more closely with their digital life. In any case, the giants of Silicon Valley believe in its potential and make large investments in this area. The road is still long and likely to be full of pitfalls. However, the topic is worth following closely.
(Image credit: iStock)
Article written by
Author
This text is published under the responsibility of its author. Its content is not in any way associated with the editorial staff of Les Echos Solutions.